Civico 1845

I am pretty skeptical when it comes to Italian food when dining out. Most of my mid dining experiences have all been at Italian places. You would think that most places could, uh... make an al dente pasta, right? There are sadly a lot that can't :') This is why I generally opt to make a serviceable pasta at home at a fraction of the price. Our out-of-town friends wanted to eat in Little Italy, so I obliged. Turns out Civico is one of the only vegan Italian restaurants, which is quite the feat. The verdict: Really good! Great, even (minus the strange olive situation which I explain below). My partner got the vegan fusili del sud, I got the tagliatelle della sila, and our friends got the vegan rigatoni puttanesca and lasagna calabrese. We also got a vegan caprese to share. Pros: -The complimentary focaccia bread and pesto were delicious and we could not stop eating it. - Vegan fusilli had a very bright, almost sweet-tangy Marzano tomato sauce and the mushroom-y beyond sausage paired very well with it (and we typically do not like beyond meat) - I love nduja but usually, restaurants are heavy-handed with it so the dish is way too salty. Not in my dish! -All our pasta was perfectly cooked. I guess this is why people shell out the big bucks for handmade pasta that isn't Barilla. - The Caprese was shockingly mozzarella-like. I imagined a big tofu bomb, but the vegan mozz had a slight milkiness and tender texture. There is a little bit of a silken tofu aftertaste, but for the most part, this is the closest you'll get to mozzarella. - Portions are substantial so we had leftovers for the next day, which held up quite well. Cons: - One of our friends who got the vegan rigatoni had quite literally 20 kalamata olives in her pasta which made it way too salty. I kind of wish that she got it comped because it was on the verge of being inedible, but she didn't want to make a fuss about it.

We aim to try a new Italian joint each time we're in SD. This place had good YELP reviews, so why not?Nice, casual interior. Good wine list. Knowledgeable, courteous staff. The focaccia (delivered to the table in a brown paper bag - whaaat?) and pesto dipping sauce was pretty tasty.We started with the Fiori de Zucchine. The kidlet loved it (did NOT see that coming). Hubby had the Pappardelle Brasato and I had the Fusilli all a Norma. He really liked his. Mine was so-so. The eggplant kinda dissolved into the sauce (would have liked some veggie chunks) and the pasta was very heavy and pasty. Not the best. The kidlet ordered off the kid's menu and was rewarded with a huge bowl of spaghetti with a meatball the size of his fist. He loved it.No desserts. We were stuffed...and couldn't even finish our food due to the generous portions.Will we go back? Yep. Maybe share a pasta dish so we can have dessert next time.

Went here last night (Sunday) for dinner with my sister and two cousins. It was new to all of us and we enjoyed the entrees we ordered. I was especially interested in eating here because it has several vegan options. I had the fusilli del sud and it was tasty! I couldn't finish it, though, because I filled up on their warm, delicious focaccia bread. It was irresistible! I'm looking forward to my leftovers tonight.I also tried the vegan tiramisu. It was served in a short parfait glass, which surprised me. The non-dairy mascarpone was a tad thick and there was a mountain of cocoa powder on top (instead of a thin layer). Neither appealed to me, so I only ate a small portion of it.I'd made a reservation for us through OpenTable.com and we opted to be at a table outside on their sidewalk so we could enjoy a conversation while we ate; inside was WAY too noisy. The hostess was very welcoming and accommodating.As soon as we sat down, we were provided a carafe of cold water. And shortly after, our server, James, introduced himself. This Bradley Cooper lookalike was fantastic! Professional, charming, and funny. We loved him! If I'm up for searching for affordable, nearby parking in the future, I'll definitely be back.

Had our dog with us and we were greeted promptly and sat outside! Super cute spacious patio area. They offer complimentary bread that is to die for w a delicious pesto spread! Hubby and I split the lasagna and it was chefs kiss!

We dropped in just after lunch on a Friday and were seated very quickly, opting to choose outside instead of inside. Our server, Alejandro, was very prompt and attentive!We placed our drinks and appetizer order first. There was complimentary focaccia provided and a homemade pesto which was so good - it wasn't salty and paired very well with the bread. We got about 6 or so pieces, so come hungry!For drinks we ordered the Italian sour and bergamotto spritz. The sour was YUM. If you like drinking black manhattans then this is right up your alley, similar flavor profiles but lighter in the alcohol flavors of course. Really easy to drink, dangerously good. The bergamotto spritz was also very balanced and delicious! Not too bitter, not sweet, surprisingly full flavored and the soda gives it that refreshing touch. This was also very easy to drink and I had to make myself take smaller sips so I didn't finish it too quickly. Our appetizer was the fried zucchini blossoms with ricotta and I believe bell peppers inside. There was a San Mariano tomato dip which I could have drank like a soup, it was that good. The dish came out so quick and was fried to perfection. We ordered the parpadelle to split, which was the right decision because every dish was a generous serving. They do offer additional parmeggiano on top of the pasta if you wish. The pasta was al dente, the short rib meat so tender and flaky, and the wine in the red sauce was dominant in a good way. Our service was so enjoyable, everything came out so quickly, and it was just overall such a good experience. I would come back here again as I'm very interested in their vegan menu they offer!

The minute I saw this menu while planning our few days in San Diego, it was non-negotiable that we would eat here. I was so excited to see that they have a special, designated vegan menu! They have a regular menu as well and I think it's very cool that they have something for everyone. Not that you give a shit about my life, but I had planned this for our first half day in SD. We arrived from NY on an early flight so we had pretty much been up since 2am PDT and were completely dead by early afternoon. We intended to take a lil nap but there was absolutely no way we would be putting real clothes on, despite my overwhelming desire to eat here. Fortunately, they deliver via Uber eats! I'm sad that we didn't get a chance to experience it dining in but this was better than nothing. I ordered the vegan fusilli del sud with the most orgasmic homemade fusilli pasta that has a little bite but chewy enough to satisfy that noodle craving. The sauce is a spectacular San Marzano tomato sauce with eggplant, beyond Italian sausage, and vegan mozz. I am one of those would-be-vegan-but-can't-give-up-cheese bitches and the mozz could have fooled me. I partially filled up on the delicious bread they provided with the pasta but could not stop eating this shit. Better than sex, tbh. I'm drooling just reflecting on it now. GF ordered the Ragu di funghi with homemade fettuccine, wild mushroom Italian ragu, walnuts, and vegan parm. GF says "good umami flavor but I was so full from earlier that I couldn't fully enjoy it". This was a really wonderful meal and I can't imagine how incredible it would have been in person.

We tried out Civico 1845 on a Monday evening. I made reservations ahead of time and while I would recommend this just in case, there were plenty of open tables. We started with the Fritto de Mare. This had fried calamari and shrimp. I loved this starter and would get this again. For my main dish I got the Scialatielli Scoglio. The mussels were my favorite part and I would get this dish again (it was a huge helping and I was not able to eat all of it!) we also got the tiramisu. I would return if we were in the area again!

When we felt ignored at another Little Italy restaurant, we found ourselves wandering down India. As we were walking by, Cako pulled to go into the restaurant. The owner was outside called her "Bella" and gave her a treat. So why not eat here? After all, Cako chose it!We asked for a table away from others, just because. It was perfect! We ordered the vegan bruschetta, very good! Unique! We both had the pappardelle brasato...swoon! Tender beef and a delicious sauce!!! Sooooo good! We also loved the bread and pesto to dip it in! We ordered a great Super Tuscan and what a great way to enjoy the pleasant evening!Service was attentive but not intrusive. Everyone was wonderful! Our sever was surprised we were locals since a majority of their customers were from out of town. What a great place to come to! Can't wait to come back!Cako Approves!!!

Full disclosure: I know the most Italian dude. Like straight from Italy. Like goes back every weekend type of guy. And THIS is the location he recommended and damn am I really happy I listened to him.Stop everything and go get the Ragú. 15/10 would eat again. It has sausage and braised meat in it and everything was so flavorful and savory. They have two different versions. The Pappardelle Brasato is their most famous one but if you want cheesy and you want crispy on top but soft on the bottom get their ragú Pasta Al Forno.We also had the cacio e pepe that was their special of the day. Also very good. A bit pepper-y but it was still very tasty. Their Pollo Ripieno is also very good. Cooked to perfection. Just don't love how it was 50/50 eggplant chicken ratio. But with that said would absolutely get again.Their homemade focaccia and olive oil/pesto mix was soooo tasty.It's also perfect for a date night as it isn't casual but isn't over the top. Take your mom here when she visits. Take your girl. Take your friend when she wants to wear those new heels she just got but needs to go somewhere or go, like me, when you just wanna be a carb monster and have some of the best ragú you ever had.Little Italy parking always sucks so take the trolley or walk.PS everyone has been kind every time we've been.Will def be back!

My boss and I had a lovely dinner at Civico during a recent work trip to San Diego! The evening was cool and great to spend in the mostly open air Little Italy part of SD. We were attracted to Civico because of their vegan menu offerings, which my boss ended up ordering from. I can't recall what it was she had, but she really enjoyed it and said she couldn't tell the difference between the vegan cheese kosher cheese she's had. We started off with the burrata caprese and the zucchini blossoms, both of which were very tasty. They also served us fresh Italian sourdough and pesto - yum! For my entree, I had the braised short rib pasta, which I really wish I would have had the room to finish because it was super good. The pasta seemed freshly prepared and was a perfectly chewy al denté with tender and savory sauce and a nice, thin slice of cheese atop!